Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Conditions & Diseases: Cancers

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a blood and bone marrow disease caused by an increased number of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cells). Normally, the body produces three types of blood cells, called mature blood cells.

Red blood cells, which carry the oxygen to all the body tissues.
White blood cells, which fight against infections.
Platelets, which control the bleeding by forming blood clots.

Mature blood cells develop from immature bone marrow cells called stem cells. When chronic lymphocytic leukemia occurs, too many stem cells develop into a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. This phenomenon is caused by a genetic mutation in the lymphocyte's DNA. However, this genetic mutation is not present at birth, and it can develop at any time during the life span.

Normally, lymphocytes help the body to fight against infections by producing antibodies. Once the mutation occurs, the lymphocytes do not mature correctly, grow uncontrollable, and in time, lose their function.

Also, a high concentration of lymphocytes can negatively influence the red blood cells and platelets by reducing their number. This causes anemia, bleeding and bruising, three of the most common symptoms of leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the second most common type of leukemia in adults, and rarely occurs in children. It develops slow over the years and many patients live a normal life for many years. The survival rate can vary between 1 to 20 years, depending on the stage when the disease is diagnosed and the growth rate of the leukemia cells.

The main risk factors include:

Age: CLL usually occurs in adults over the age of 50.
Gender: CLL is more common among men.
Race: CLL is more common among Caucasians.
Family history: CLL is more common among adults that have a family history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia or cancer of the lymph system, or have Russian Jews or Eastern Europe Jews relatives.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia progresses slowly and can be asymptomatic in its early stages. In most cases, this type of leukemia is discovered during a routine medical check-up. Even when symptoms occur, initially they are mild and progress slowly. Some of the most common symptoms are:

Feeling tired
Breathing difficulties (short breaths during physical activities)
Swollen lymph in the neck, underarms, stomach, or groin area
Fever and increased night sweats
Vulnerability to infections
Weight loss
Discomfort below the ribs (pain or fullness sensations)
Anemia
Fatigue
Unexplained bruising and bleedings

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia undergoes 5 stages.

Stage 0: This stage is characterized by an increased number of lymphocytes in the blood, but no symptoms are present.

Stage I: In this stage, the are too many lymphocytes in the blood, the number of red blood cells and platelets is still normal, and some of the first symptoms occur - the lymph nodes are larger than normal.

Stage II: In this stage, the number of lymphocytes is higher and the symptoms increase - both the lymph nodes and liver or spleen become swollen.

Stage III: In this stage, the number of lymphocytes is higher while the number of red blood cell is lower than normal causing anemia, and the lymph nodes, liver, or the spleen may swell.

Stage IV: In this stage, the number of lymphocytes is higher, while the number of platelets and red blood cells is a lot lower than normal, and the lymph nodes, liver, or spleen may be larger than normal.

Article by Alina Morrow,
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com